At that time: Jesus said, ‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But it will be more bearable in the judgement for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to heaven? You shall be brought down to Hades.
  ‘The one who hears you hears me, and the one who rejects you rejects me, and the one who rejects me rejects him who sent me.’

Above all else, the Lord desires our salvation. More than that—He urgently calls us to live in holiness, and in our daily lives He shows us countless miracles: in our marriage, in our family, among our friends, even in our work. He reveals them to us with striking clarity!
So why do we grow accustomed to them? Or why do we sometimes refuse to see or hear? Then it becomes as Abraham once said to Lazarus: “Even if someone were to rise from the dead, they would not believe.”
The Lord is telling us: Recognise Me! Recognise Me in the Eucharist, in confession, in the ordinary moments of each day.
And you, husband or wife, recognise Me in your spouse! For in them I show you My face—in joys and sorrows, in sickness and in health, every day of your life. Repent, believe, and live it!

Applied to Married Life

Paul: Christine, I honestly don’t feel like going to the catechesis group this Friday. With all the arguments we’ve been having, what’s the point? It feels hypocritical.
Christine: You’re right—we’ve been arguing a lot, and sometimes it seems useless. I was even thinking of calling Gabriel and Theresa to tell them we won’t be going.
(But even in their struggles, they remain faithful to prayer, and the Lord brings light to their hearts.)
Paul (after prayer): You know, after spending that time in prayer, I’ve realised the Lord is showing me something: even with our falls, being part of this group is helping us so much. We’ve already witnessed miracles—starting with our own marriage—and we can’t just ignore that.
Christine: That’s true, Paul. Deciding not to go was just a temptation! When we look back, we can see how much closer it has brought us to the Lord, and how He is transforming our marriage—something we once thought impossible. Let’s go tonight. I’m sure the Lord wants to speak to us again, perhaps through the words of Saint John Paul.
Paul: Then let’s go! Let’s keep witnessing His miracles together.

Mother,

we thank you for leading us ever closer to the Truth. Keep holding us by the hand. Blessed be the Lord!

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.
  ‘See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.’

At least twice in St Matthew’s Gospel, the question is raised about who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And Jesus’ answer is the same: the Kingdom belongs to the little ones, to those who serve with humility, to those who trust.
Like a small child obedient to his father, walking confidently without letting go of his hand because he knows his father is caring for him and keeping him safe. Only when he strays does fear come, because he cannot walk alone.
We are called to be like that child who trusts and obeys his father—knowing that my joy lies in being with Him, doing His will: loving my spouse, letting go of my own preferences, desires and tastes, renouncing my pride.
And so, with the help of grace, the Kingdom of Heaven will already be in my heart.

Applied to Married Life

Lucy (in prayer): Lord, I’m discouraged and tired. It feels as though John doesn’t value me, as if he doesn’t truly understand me. But I know You are with me—that You rejoice with me and suffer with me. Help me not to focus so much on myself. Remind me that what I feel or perceive may be clouded by my own pride. Give me, Lord, the joy of humility and service. May I always see You in my husband and love him as You do.

Mother,

Handmaid of the Lord, teach me to live in humility. Blessed are you for ever. Amen.

At that time: As Jesus and his disciples were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, let me first go and bury my father.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Yet another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’

The Gospel of the Lord

In the Face of Indifference or Rejection: Give Yourself

In this Gospel passage, we see how the Samaritans refused to receive the Lord because of His appearance. Faced with this rejection, James and John wanted vengeance—they felt offended. But what does Jesus do? He rebukes them and shows compassion towards those who, “seeing, do not see,” because their hearts were still closed to Him.
The Lord is constantly seeking us, longing to dwell with us. Yet if we do not welcome Him, He simply continues on—He never forces love, but waits with infinite patience until He is received.
And so it must be with us as spouses: even when we fail to see our husband or wife with the dignity of a child of God, even when we feel unloved or unacknowledged, we are still called to love—without anger, without offence—continuing along the path and waiting for another moment when our spouse’s heart may be ready to receive us.
To live like this, we need daily time with the Lord in prayer: to fall in love with Him, to grow more like Him, and, ultimately, to love as He loves.

Applied to Married Life

Andrew: Congratulations, my love—today is such a special day! Nineteen years of marriage. Do you know something? This morning in prayer, Jesus showed me that from the very beginning He has wanted to reign in our marriage and make us truly happy… but because of the hardness of our hearts, we often didn’t let Him. How patient He has been with us! Today I just want to thank Him for His mercy.
Natalie: Congratulations to you too, my dear husband! Yes, it’s so striking how He never grows tired of waiting and keeps seeking us out with all kinds of means. He has sent us family members who shared with us the miracles of the Rosary, priests who accompanied and advised us, and friends who encouraged us to attend a “Marital Love Project” retreat and join catechesis groups. Truly, He has always been by our side, even when we didn’t recognise Him.
Andrew: Now it all makes so much sense—the wonderful gifts He has given us, but also the trials that caused us such pain. They were necessary to purify our hearts. Without them, in our pride, we would never have opened ourselves to Him. All of it was part of His plan.
Natalie: How great is the Lord, who allows us to bear witness that by His mercy it is possible to make the old new again—to transform a broken marriage into one that has discovered the treasure of its vocation!

Mother,

we thank you for coming to the aid of so many marriages in difficulty, so they do not feel alone.
Glory to the Lord, who makes all things new!

At that time: Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to him, ‘How do you know me?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’ Nathanael answered him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered him, ‘Because I said to you, “I saw you under the fig tree”, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’

How must Christ have looked at Nathanael for him to burst out with such joy? Jesus looked straight into Nathanael’s heart, beyond appearances. Christian marriage is called to be an alliance where spouses feel seen, understood, and loved—even in their weaknesses. We are invited to experience unconditional love: to be received and cherished in our entirety.
And if we live this way, Jesus promises us that we will see heaven opened—a life where heaven touches earth. Our spousal love must be open to heaven by placing God at the centre: every gesture of forgiveness, tenderness, and service within marriage is already a foretaste of those “greater things” God has promised.
Let us resolve to let heaven touch our marriage by loving and giving ourselves, so that in the daily life of our home, we may glimpse God’s promise of greater things.

Applied to Married Life

Joseph: Darling, I think I love you more—and better—every day.
Alice: Oh! What a beautiful declaration of love. But why are you saying that now?
Joseph: Because I’m sure that before, when you made that comment this morning, I would have taken offence. Yet this time, I thought perhaps you were just tired or struggling with some temptation. And I also saw it as an opportunity for me to grow in humility.
Alice: You really have changed. You know how quickly I speak sometimes, without even realising what I’m saying—and then I can’t even remember afterwards. So if I wasn’t very affectionate this morning, forgive me. And thank you for not looking at me harshly. I really do love my “new Joseph.”
Joseph: And I love my “new Alice” just as much. [laughs]

Mother,

Help me to look at my spouse through the eyes of Your Son, who does not judge or condemn, but loves me in my weakness and invites me to do the same in my marriage. Praise be to the Lord.